Jez Dior is nearing the completion of his debut album, but the son of '70s punk rocker Steve Dior wanted to step up his game with his releases, so he dropped his most adventurous single to-date: "Cocaine." On the three-minute cut, the budding star decided on letting his singing take the driver's seat as he belts alongside a choir about the aching attraction to a lover, which uses the drug as a metaphor for his addiction. It's a different side to Dior, but a necessary one for the direction of his current campaign, which saw him simultaneously release two other singles: "Kiss You Good" and "Come and Go" featuring Rome of Sublime.
Prior to the release of the video for "Cocaine," the 26-year-old rapper stopped by iHeartRadio to talk about his newest chapter of music, working with Rome and how he wants to continue the messages that his teen idol Eminem spread during his childhood. Scroll on below!
You released three singles simultaneously. Talk to me a little bit about that tactic.
Well, it's just been a while. I think it's actually been about a year since the last time that I put out music. Instead of just releasing one single, it felt right to give the fans more content than just that, you know? It's exciting, too, because all these singles definitely show the development over the last year. I've just been stuck in the studio making these records, so it's nice to be able to put out more than one.
"Cocaine" marks your first non-rap single. Were you nervous?
I was so nervous, bro. I was so, so nervous. It's weird because I haven't really been singing for that long, at all. It's a new thing for me. My comfort zone has always been rapping. For me to be able to put out something where I was singing, I felt very vulnerable. I love the song and everybody else seems to love the song. I'm happy we did it.
"Come and Go" feels equally as personal since it details your relationship with your father. Let's get into the evolution of that track.
"Come and Go" is a special one to me, obviously, because of the content on the song. I met Rome [of Sublime], who's singing on the hook and we made that song within like the first two hours of meeting each other. We just had a quick conversation and then we were out on his balcony. I'll never forget it. We were just talking about our dads and it came really naturally. That was the first song we ever made together and we're the best of boys now, so it's cool. It just came so fast.
Is that energy and dynamic hard to find?
Yeah, it doesn't always happen. I've had numerous sessions with different producers or writers, or whatever, and nothing comes of it. Just to be able to click with him so fast was really cool.
What's something that you learned from Rome?
It was cool just to see him go in the booth and sometimes he won't even write anything. He'll just go in the booth and just do whatever comes to him. You can really tell with him. It just comes from the soul, so that's cool to watch him do that and learn from him that way.
Do you have any techniques yourself when you go in for a studio session?
To be honest with you, it's always different. It depends on who I'm working with. There's certain people that only like to work a certain way. Then there's other people that are like Rome, who do everything on the fly. It really depends on who you're working with, but I always like to write my stuff, usually.
The third single, "Kiss You Good," details the same relationship that you spoke about in "Cocaine." Have you heard back from that person of inspiration?
You know what? To be honest, the person that those two songs are about has not listened to the songs. She has not listened to the songs. I don't have any feedback from her on what she feels about from those [songs]. It's a weird, long, long relationship.
I asked because that one is a pretty apologetic track.
Yeah, I think that that day will definitely come. I hope it does, but it just hasn't yet, you know? For whatever reason.
They're all featured on your upcoming debut. What can you tell us about the project?
Well, I always say, for me, it's my first full-length album. It's the first 26 years of my life all put into one album. I've never actually had the chance to make a full album before. It's always just been EPs and everything. But for me, I just want to do everything that Eminem did for me as a kid. I was actually kind of late on Em. I didn't even listen to hip-hop or rap when I was really young. But when I heard The Eminem Show, what that did for me ... that sh*t saved my life. The Eminem Show was the album that I could really relate to when he was talking about his dad and all his family problems, and everything. If I can make an album that will help these kids in the same way that that did for me, that's all I want to do.
That's essentially a part of his legacy, too.
He was everything to me. That really, really helped me through my teen years. I get these messages all the time from these random kids all across the world and that to me is everything. If I can do the same, or even remotely close, that's a success for me.
Your stuff's already pretty candid. Is there anything that's off-limits, or is it an open-book?
Not really, man. I never liked therapy when I was younger. I always hated it. My mom would try to put me in it when my dad left and stuff like that. I always found that music was therapy for me. It's the way that I get all my emotions out, so nothing's really off limits. It's the only way I know, actually, how to release. I just feel like writing is how I get everything out, so nothing's really off limits.
What's the plan for the rest of the summer?
We got a video coming out really soon. I'm headed to Germany at the end of the month for a festival and then we're doing a show with Noname in London, and then more shows after that; and finishing the album, getting it out before the end of the year.
Photo: Connor Scott for iHeartRadio